Live Blog: Follow Indiana's Game Against Northwestern in Real Time
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers had a week to prepare for their next opponent, Northwestern, which is coming off a 63-60 loss at Rutgers on Thursday.
Indiana suffered a 20-point loss at No. 2 Purdue on Feb. 10 and enter Sunday's game with a 14-10 overall record, a 6-7 mark in Big Ten play and outside the NCAA Tournament picture. Coached by Chris Collins, Northwestern is 17-8 overall, 8-6 in conference play and projected as a No. 9 seed in ESPN's latest bracketology.
Welcome to our live blog for Sunday's game, which tips off at 3 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, where we'll share live updates, highlights and thoughts on the game.
5:20 p.m. – Final: Northwestern 76, Indiana 72. Indiana was close to a comeback through fouls and late baskets, but Northwestern made just enough free throws down the stretch. Indiana drops to 14-11 overall and 6-8 in Big Ten play. Mike Woodson is now 27-27 in regular season Big Ten play across three seasons.
5:03 p.m. – Gunn got an open look from three, but he left it short. Nicholson blocked Ware on the put-back attempt, then makes a layup on the next possession. Northwestern's lead is back up to 67-58 with 1:40 left.
4:58 p.m. – Trey Galloway got hit in the face by Nick Martinelli going for a rebound. After review, officials call Martinelli for a flagrant one foul. Galloway goes 1-for-2 at the line. Galloway makes a floater on the next possession, and IU trails 63-57.
4:52 p.m. – Cupps hits a three from the left wing, assisted by Galloway on the fast break. Northwester leads by 11 with 4:30 left.
4:49 p.m. – Reneau fouls out with 6:23 left. It was a tough day for Indiana's leading scorer, who finished with nine points on 4-for-9 shooting, five rebounds, four turnovers and two assists.
4:46 p.m. – Buie hits another step-back three, and Northwestern's lead is up to 61-47 with 6:36 left. That may have been the dagger.
4:43 p.m. – Ware goes 0-for-2 at the line, met with groans from the Assembly Hall crowd. Indiana is 6-for-12 on free throws today.
4:37 p.m. – Really solid defense from Cupps shuts off driving lanes for Buie, who passed to Langborg for a missed jumper. Galloway passed it ahead to Mgbako for a fastbreak layup, but Buie answered with a step-back three on the other end. Northwestern leads 58-47 with 8:16 left.
4:30 p.m. – Langborg hits his fourth 3-pointer of the game despite solid defense from Galloway. He's 4-for-6 from three today and leads all scorers with 20 points. Nicholson gets an and-one on the next possession but missed the free throw. Northwestern's lead is back up to 53-45 with 10:08 to play.
4:26 p.m. – Another huge block from Ware, but this time he's called for goal tending. Northwestern leads 48-43 with 11:52 left.
4:24 p.m. – Mgbako missed an open three, but Reneau was there for the offensive rebound and putback. The Assembly Hall crowd is getting into it, but Martinelli silences them with a three. Northwestern leads 46-42 with 12:12 left.
4:22 p.m. – Langborg hits a three, and Cupps was called for a foul under the basket, which gives Northwestern an other possession. Buie missed a three.
4:20 p.m. – Indiana executes a baseline out of bounds play well out of a timeout, leading to a 3-pointer from Mgbako. Ware swatted a Northwestern layup all the way to the tunnel on the next possession.
4:15 p.m. – A shot fake frees Galloway for a drive, leading to an alley-oop dunk for Ware. Smart play from Galloway. Nicholson answers with a dunk at the other end, so Northwestern leads 40-35 with 15:14 left.
4:14 p.m. – A tip in from Nicholson and free throws from Langborg push Northwestern's lead back to 38-33.
4:12 p.m. – Mgbako drives and draws a foul on Barnhizer, his third. He sinks both free throws, and IU trails 34-33, the closest this game has been since 13-12.
4:09 p.m. – Reneau goes right at Matthew Nicholson on the first possession, and converts the layup through a foul, Nicholson's second. He made the free throw, too. Northwestern leads 34-29.
3:51 p.m. – Ware now called for a moving screen, his second foul. IU fans didn't like it, as they boo the refs heading into halftime. IU trails 34-26.
3:48 p.m. – Ware had the ball stripped away, but he was able to grab the loose ball and pass it to a cutting Anthony Walker for a dunk. That's a 7-2 run for Indiana, which trails 32-26 with 1:33 left.
3:46 p.m. – Cupps knocks down an important 3-pointer from the left wing, assisted by Galloway. That cuts Northwestern's lead to 30-22.
3:43 p.m – Reneau stays in the game, but he got his pocket picked by Martinelli while posting up. Now Walker checks in for him. Martinelli misses the front end of the one-and-one, but Northwestern still leads 28-19.
3:40 p.m. – Malik Reneau picks up his second foul with 4:14 left in the half. Indiana trails 27-19, and it might have to go the rest of the half without its leading scorer.
3:37 p.m. – Langborg hits his second 3-pointer to put Northwestern ahead 25-18. Indiana defended well for most of that possession, but it had to scramble after a loose ball, which ended up with an open Langborg up top.
3:35 p.m. – Walker's lob to Ware was too high, but Ware still caught it and was able to land and then go up for a dunk while getting fouled. While the initial play didn't work, it led to Nicholson's first foul. Ware missed the free throw, and IU trails 20-16.
3:33 p.m. – That's Barnhizer's second foul at the 7:52 mark, as Northwestern leads 20-14. Northwestern's depth will be tested today, already without starting guard Ty Berry.
3:30 p.m. – Barnhizer knocks down a corner three, and Anthony Walker misses one on the other end. Northwestern is 2-for-5, and IU is 1-for-7 on 3-point attempts today.
3:26 p.m. – Nicholson was called for a common foul, but officials hit Payton Sparks with a hook and hold flagrant foul for what happened after the initial tie up. Buie hit both three throws, but Sparks respond with a layup on the other end. IU leads 12-11.
3:21 p.m. – Nicholson and Sparks got tangled up going for a rebound, and the foul on Nicholson leads us to the under-12 timeout, with IU leading 10-9. I think they're reviewing this for a hook and hold foul.
3:17 p.m. – And now Galloway knocks down a three from the left wing. He was wide open on a well-executed set by the Hoosiers. Cupps picks up his second foul at the 13:38 mark on the first half, and Leal checks in to replace him. IU and Northwestern tied 9-9.
3:16 p.m. – Didn't know Gabe Cupps had the sky hook in his arsenal, but he made it with ease. Martinelli answers with a layup inside. Northwestern leads 9-6.
3:10 p.m. – Langborg knocks down a deep three from the right wing. Looked like some miscommunication between Mgbako and Galloway, both of whom when under the screen. Northwestern leads 7-4.
3:09 p.m. – Buie missed a fadeaway against good defense from Galloway, and Reneau airballed a three on the other end. Langborg gives Northwestern its first lead, 4-2, with a mid-range jumper.
3:06 p.m. – Buie drives and draws a foul on Ware, his first. Free throws tie the game 2-2 through two possessions.
3:05 p.m. – Indiana wins the tip, and Reneau immediately draws a foul on Boo Buie just five seconds in. Buie is Northwestern's leading scorer. Reneau finishes a lefty hook on the first possession.
3:00 p.m. – Indiana is a 2.5-point favorite, and the over/under is 137.5 points, according to the SI Sportsbook just before tipoff. Officials for today are Terry Oglesby, Don Daily and Owen Shortt.
2:56 p.m. – Starters for Indiana today are Gabe Cupps, Trey Galloway, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau and Kel'el Ware. For Northwestern, it's Boo Buie, Ryan Langborg, Brooks Barnhizer, Nick Martinelli and Matthew Nicholson.
2:00 p.m. – Indiana is debuting new alternate uniforms today in collaboration with Fear of God and adidas. Here's a look at them.
Indiana is wearing alternate uniforms today in collaboration with Fear of God and adidas.
12:05 p.m. – Indiana listed Xavier Johnson, Jakai Newton and Jordan Rayford out for Sunday's game on the pregame availability report. Johnson is out indefinitely with an elbow injury he suffered Jan. 12 against Minnesota, while Newton and Rayford have not played this season. Northwestern will be without starting guard Ty Berry, who leads the Wildcats with 43.3% 3-point shooting. 6-foot-7 sophomore Nick Martinelli (7.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) has started the last two games in his place.
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